Comparison

Card Codex vs Cardboard Alpha

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Card Codex

Instantly identify trading cards by pointing your camera. Get card name, set, number, and current value without typing. All recognition happens on your device for complete privacy.

Highlights
  • Instant card identification
  • Automatic value lookup
  • Camera-based scanning
  • On-device processing
  • Unlimited free scans
  • Supports English and Japanese sets
Features
Read full description

Point. Scan. Know. Card Codex identifies your trading cards in an instant — name, set, card number and current value — just by pointing your camera. No typing, no searching, no guesswork. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Card recognition runs entirely on your phone. Photos of your cards never leave your device. No ads, no trackers, and no account needed to scan. Check the permissions: we ask for the camera, and nothing else. UNLIMITED SCANNING, FREE Scan as many cards as you like. We don't put the thing that matters behind a weekly limit. FAST AND ACCURATE A purpose-built recognition engine identifies cards across English and Japanese sets, including tricky holo and full-art cards — through a sleeve, or straight off a binder page without taking anything out. TWO WAYS TO SCAN • Auto — hold steady and it identifies hands-free. • Manual — line up the shot and tap the shutter for tough or vintage cards. Priced in £, with English and Japanese sets built in. YOUR SESSION, ORGANISED Build up a scan session and see the total value at a glance. Card Codex is the companion app to cardcodex.com. Card Codex is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company International, or Game Freak. Trademarks are used only to describe compatibility.

About

Cardboard Alpha

Instantly identify trading cards and view their market prices using your phone's camera. Track your collection's value, research market trends, and even participate in live card shows and auctions.

Highlights
  • Instant card identification and pricing
  • Live auction and card show participation
  • Wireless OBS camera streaming
  • Collection valuation and management
  • Market research and price history
  • Targeted price alerts
  • Trade building and tracking
Features
Read full description

Cardboard Alpha identifies trading cards through the camera and shows the market price the moment it recognises one. No shutter, no typing. Scan a stack, watch the running total, and every hit lands in your collection. • Instant scanning: hold a card up, hear the match, see the price by condition and by grade. Reads English, Japanese and Chinese cards, sleeved or in a top loader. • Don't Get Cooked: watching a live card auction? Open the stream in the app and it recognises the card the host is showing and puts its market price on screen, so you know what it is worth before you bid. Recognition runs on your phone; nothing from the stream is recorded. • Live: watch live card shows from sellers, chat, follow hosts, bid on physical cards and enter free giveaways. Report and block are on every show, host and message. • iPhone camera for OBS: streaming with OBS? Pair your iPhone with a 6-digit code and it becomes a wireless vertical camera (1080 x 1920, 30 fps) in an OBS Browser Source. Nothing to install on your computer. • Your collection, valued: totals by set, master-set checklists with search and filters, raw or graded. • Market research: price history, recent sales, liquidity and trends for every card. • Deals and alerts: set a target price and get told when a listing comes in under it. • Trades: build a give/receive trade, complete it, and your collection updates. • More games: English, Japanese and Chinese Pokémon cards and One Piece, each with its own prices and sets. • Pre-Grade: photograph a card and get an estimate of its condition. It is an estimate, not a grade from a grading company. • Consignment: send us cards from your collection and we sell them for you. • Vendor tools: selling at a card show? Add the show, ring up sales at your table, run your cash till (Pro) and see the show's profit, track what you paid for cards you buy in bulk, and keep your storefront, labels and earnings in one place. • Vault: a portfolio view for cards Cardboard Alpha holds for you, showing where each one is, from on its way to us to in the Vault. • Online drops: a tracker for upcoming product releases, with reminders. • Earn coins for using the app: daily check-ins, scan streaks, quests, weekly challenges with friends, and a reward when a friend you invite joins. Spend them on Alpha Loader card guards. Coins are earned only, have no cash value and can't be bought, sold or transferred. • Alpha Loader: our textured guard for a top loader, sold in the app. Card not included. • Friends (optional): find friends who already use the app, see their profiles and compare collections. You are asked first, in the app, before any contact data is uploaded; nothing is rewarded for it. CARDBOARD ALPHA PRO AND TERMINAL Free accounts include 10 scans a day, one price bell and a 10-card watchlist. Pro and Terminal add unlimited scans, more price bells, faster alert checks, full price history and more. Subscriptions are monthly or yearly and are bought in the app with your Apple ID. New subscribers can start with a 3-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase (after the trial, if you take one). Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel them in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://cardboardalpha.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://cardboardalpha.com/privacy Prices come from real sales, updated continuously. Card images are shown as market data to identify real physical cards. Cardboard Alpha never claims a card is authentic; Pre-Grade is an estimate only. Cardboard Alpha is an independent app and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any trading card game publisher.

Screenshots

Card Codex4 screens
Cardboard Alpha4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Card Codex at none against Cardboard Alpha's 4. Cardboard Alpha's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cardboard Alpha sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Card Codex asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Card Codex against 5.0 for Cardboard Alpha. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Card Codex ships an update fortnightly, Cardboard Alpha daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Card Codex versus Cardboard Alpha: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCard CodexCardboard Alpha
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB136 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCard Codex LtdRocketAgents

Customer experience

Card Codex

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Cardboard Alpha

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Card Codex

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Cardboard Alpha

Subscriptions4
  • Pro (Monthly)3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Terminal (Monthly)3 Days trial$18.991 Month
  • Pro (Annual)3 Days trial$49.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Terminal (Annual)3 Days trial$149.991 Year

Questions

Is Card Codex free?
Card Codex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cardboard Alpha free?
Cardboard Alpha is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha?
Card Codex and Cardboard Alpha are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha have ads?
Neither Card Codex nor Cardboard Alpha shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha?
Card Codex ships an update fortnightly, and Cardboard Alpha daily. Most recently, Card Codex was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cardboard Alpha on October 31, 2026.

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